The selfless act of Tew Jian En, 32, who donated a kidney to his colleague Pang Jinghui, has given Pang a new lease on life. Following the successful surgery, Pang's debilitating edema symptoms vanished almost immediately. Doctors at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore confirmed both men are healthy, their kidney functions stable, allowing them to resume normal activities.

Tew Jian En and Pang Jinghui first met in 2015 while working as sound engineers at a Singapore company. Their shared passion for music quickly forged a close friendship. Recognizing Tew was Malaysian and living alone, Pang invited him to celebrate Winter Solstice with his family.

Though they later moved to different jobs, their bond remained strong. Tew began to notice Pang's health decline. In 2017, Pang's kidney function dropped from 50% to below 40%, necessitating intensive treatment, including steroids, which brought symptoms like mood swings, nausea, and edema.

Pang had battled chronic kidney disease since adolescence. He was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy, an autoimmune disease affecting the kidneys, during a pre-enlistment medical check-up at 18. For years, his condition was managed with minimal symptoms, but it progressively worsened.

Tew (left) after surgery with Pang at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore. *Photo: Strait Times*

Pang understood a kidney transplant was inevitable. Strict medical criteria made finding a suitable living donor challenging among his relatives; donors needed good kidney function, no risk factors like hypertension, diabetes, or hereditary kidney disease, and compatible blood and tissue types. With no family members meeting the requirements, he began searching for a non-blood relative.

In 2020, Pang took a chance and called Tew, asking if he would consider donating a kidney. Tew readily agreed. "I lost my younger sister to leukemia," Tew explained, "so I understood Jinghui's family's feelings and wanted to help him."

Just before being wheeled into the operating room, Tew received a call from his wife with unexpected news: she was pregnant, making him an expectant father. This moment gave him pause, but Tew remained steadfast in his decision to proceed with the kidney donation.

The transplant not only saved Pang but also brought new life to both families. Tew is now a father to two girls, aged 4 and 2, while Pang welcomed a child two years after his surgery. Their families have grown closer, regularly visiting, meeting up, and letting their children play together.

Pang expressed his deep gratitude, stating, "I always feel indebted to him, the person who gave me a new life."

Ngoc Ngan (According to Strait Times)